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Parkinson's disease and brain levels of organochlorine pesticides
Author(s) -
Fleming Lora,
Mann John B.,
Bean Judy,
Briggle Thomas,
SanchezRamos Juan R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410360119
Subject(s) - dieldrin , parkinsonism , pesticide , disease , etiology , organochlorine pesticide , parkinson's disease , medicine , physiology , biology , toxicology , ecology
Epidemiological studies have suggested an etiologic relationship between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease (PD). Organochlorine pesticides were assayed in postmortem brain samples from 20 PD, 7 Alzheimer's disease (AD), and 14 nonneurological control cases. The three groups were similar in age at death, sex, and demographic variables. Only two of 16 pesticide residues screened were detected. A long‐lasting residue of DDT (pp‐DDE) was found in the majority of cases of PD and AD, as well as in all the control cases; pp‐DDT was significantly more likely to be found in AD controls than the PD cases (Fisher's exact two‐tailed, p = 0.04). Dieldrin was detected in 6 of 20 PD brains, 1 of 7 AD, and in none of 14 control samples. Despite the relatively small number of brains assayed, the association between Dieldrin and the diagnosis of PD was highly significant ( p = 0.03). Dieldrin, a lipid‐soluble, long‐lasting mitochondrial poison, should be investigated as a potential etiological agent of Parkinsonism.